Archive for the ‘Branding’ Category

So, I love(d) LeBron James. I was in Cleveland his first season with the Cavs and the man is he awesome to watch. The man, moves. I like the rest of Cleveland, was pretty upset (understatement) when the man moved to the Heat. But that is all in the past.

This newest ad by Nike titled Rise gives us a glimpse into the icon that LeBron has become, or wants to be. Its hard to say whether this work is the creative genius of LeBron, or the work of their ad agency, but none the same the message is provocative. Not only that, the ad challenges our thinking of LeBron and the status we have given him in our society. Is it really his responsibility to be a role model? Should he really involve an entire state or nation in his career decisions?

The truth is, LeBron is a Cavalier. He went against what the public wanted to better himself. We as Americans should appreciate it, after all we are the country that invented the self-made man. In a society where CEOs continue to pay themselves millions of dollars in bonuses while laying off lower level workers, can you really blame LeBron for making the move?

Ah, the Gap. Now I have not shopped there in ages, but from what I can tell as a passer-by, they seem to be doing pretty well. It is for this reason, that I am confused and appalled at the newley designed Gap logo–and I’m not the only one.

When the company released the logo last week, there was a flutter on Twitter about the well, ugliness of the new logo. More than that, people where asking, why? As the old adage goes, If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Why mess with a beautiful and iconic logo that has served you well for years? Often times, companies look to create new logos as a way to breathe life into a (perceived) dying brand.

The case of the Failing of the Gap is similar to that of the Tropicana Debacle of 2009 and demonstrates the dire need for anthropologists as part of a Business’ branding/marketing/communication process. The company created a logo that went against not only design aesthetics, but those of consumer’s brain.

When words overlap with images, as in the unsuccessful Gap logo, our brain tends to bypass the word and focus on the image. So we ignore the “p” when it’s placed over the blue box (for the Gap name, that’s a big fail).

We’re hardwired to avoid sharp edges because in nature they represent a threat. The sharp edge of the box cutting into the curved “p” is unappealing for that reason.

Being a little funky appeals to the brain. The original Gap typeface was unusual enough to stand out from the crowd. The new one, on the other hand, is boring old Helvetica.

The brain loves high contrast. In the original logo, white letters “pop” against a dark blue background. In the new logo, the blue box weakens the black/white contrast.

It’s hard to believe that after the Tropicana fiasco that a company would so blindly change their logo without consulting you know, some sort of Consumer Anthropologist or even the cool guys at NeuroFocus. It just demonstrates the big business has yet to embrace the new world of marketing research and how without it, they will inevitably fail and lose millions of dollars.

So, to all you big business CEOs out there, pay attention! We Consumer Anthropologists are out there, ready to help your brand be better! You just need to reach for the phone and call us.